Care home residents and staff give bride and groom a surprise party

Residents and staff at a care home in Preston have given newlyweds Sarah and Dave Thomas a “magical day to remember” by throwing the happy couple a surprise wedding party.

Mrs Thomas, an activities coordinator at wanted to go straight to the care home with her husband after the ceremony so residents could see her in her wedding dress.

But when they arrived, Mr and Mrs Thomas found Finney House’s reception area had been transformed into a pop-up wedding party venue with decorations, Buck’s fizz and a cake.

Mrs Thomas who has worked in the care sector for 14 years said: “We had always planned from the start that we would go to the care home after we got married so the residents could see my dress.

“When we arrived, we were both shocked and amazed, I couldn’t believe the amount of trouble everyone had gone to.”

Residents at Finney House made their own fascinators for the occasion and were there to share afternoon tea, cards and gifts with the happy couple.

“One of our residents cried tears of joy when she saw me. I would have loved to have had them all at my wedding ceremony, but this really was the next best thing,” added Mrs Thomas.

'It really helped to make this a magical day to remember'

The wedding reception had been planned by her colleagues, Jen Stutter and Lisa Kimble, along with help from residents who had helped decorate for the big surprise.

Ms Stutter said: “Sarah’s not just a colleague, she’s a good friend and we wanted to make the day special for her.”

Mr and Mrs Thomas were due to get married in February but had to cancel because of lockdown.

“Her wedding has been cancelled a couple of times due to Covid and residents have showed a lot of interest, counting down the days and sharing in her excitement.

“So we felt it appropriate to share the day with them and spoil Sarah at the same time,” says Ms Stutter.

The bride said: “It really helped to make this a magical day to remember. I can’t thank the girls enough. They did an amazing job.”

The new Mr and Mrs Thomas plan to honeymoon in Krakow once travel restrictions have been lifted.